


Of Malicious Murmurs

by Lumelle



Series: Furs and Feathers [4]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Animal Traits, Animal Transformation, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Ori needs a hug, Sharing Body Heat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6768103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The problem with having big and sensitive ears, Ori finds, is that often he'll hear things he's not meant to hear -- or doesn't wish to hear. When some ill-meant gossip drives him to hiding, Fíli is the one who comes looking for him.</p><p>Luckily, no matter how Ori worries, Fíli will always take care of him. Even if that means being a lion-shaped heater for a while before helping Ori see that his worries are needless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Malicious Murmurs

**Author's Note:**

> The name of Kíli's kid, Vuohi, is Finnish for "goat" -- because "kili" is Finnish for "kid" (as in, a baby goat), and I have a very childish sense of humour sometimes.

Ori was not a coward.

There were those who called him that, but he knew better than to listen to such people. After all, he was one of the Company, one of the few dwarves who had answered Thorin's call and travelled far to face a dragon. No coward would have taken such a journey, and if he had trembled at the roar of the dragon, well, he would have been a fool not to. Dragons did not care if you were brave or not, they were bad news either way.

No, Ori was not a coward, but he could be cautious. A lifetime of being different often lead to that. He'd never been the largest of dwarves, and while he had some of the same strength that Dori boasted, he had never felt the urge to employ it in the ways others thought suitable for dwarves. He was no smith or warrior or stonecarver or miner, did not want to be. However, there would always be dwarves who did not see the worth in being a scribe and marking down the important things, just like there would always be dwarves who thought it was their place to wonder about how many lovers their mother had taken and why all her sons were different. So, Ori had grown up surrounded by whispers and murmurs, and he had very sensitive ears.

If anyone asked why he preferred to stay out of the way and rarely made a spectacle of himself, he would say it was because he was a fox. A rather strange fox perhaps, thanks to his unknown father, but a fox nevertheless, and thus preferred his hiding spots and lonely wanderings to lounging out and about in the middle of the crowd like some other animals were happy to do. Perhaps that was part of it, he couldn't tell, but really he had simply learnt that staying out of sight made it less likely anyone would be making nasty comments about him or his family. He would have known, too, with the way his ears could never stop catching every word that was said around him.

There had been less whispers since the start of the journey, of course. As the Company grew closer on the road, he'd almost managed to forget the trouble of malicious murmurs, had only worried about how he might eavesdrop on private conversations without meaning to, with everyone in such close quarters all the time. And afterwards, when there were other dwarves arriving in Erebor all the time, he was still one of the Company. It was amazing how many shortcomings people could forget when you were a true and tried hero, for all that he'd hardly had an important part in the proceedings.

Perhaps that was why it hurt so badly when he heard the murmurs, now.

He'd been walking from the library toward the common room shared by the Company, hoping to get some writing done before he was supposed to meet Fíli for lunch. However, his ears caught his own name coming from another corridor up ahead, and he froze. The voice wasn't familiar, certainly not someone he dealt with regularly, and that made it all the more worrying that they would be talking about him.

He didn't listen for long, got more than enough from the couple of comments the two unseen voices exchanged. When he couldn't take it anymore, he spun around on his heels and quickly walked the other way. He couldn't face the thought of being around others right now, of meeting Fíli and pretending nothing was wrong, or worse being miserable and making Fíli upset as well. He needed to be alone, somewhere he couldn't hear anyone speaking about him. But where could he go, when so much of the mountain was still unusable, and the space that had been cleared was slowly filling with people?

Ori was still so distraught by the time he reached the gates that he hardly even noticed when his scarf fell, fluttering to the ground behind him.

All he cared about was getting away.

*

By now, Fíli had gone from concerned to worried and was starting to edge toward panicked.

He was probably overreacting, but really, this was not like Ori at all. Sure, he sometimes got lost in the library for a while if he found a particularly well preserved text, or found himself a quiet corner to knit in. However, now Ori wasn't in any of his usual spots, and nobody could tell Fíli where he was, either. Nobody seemed to have run into him since the morning, and they had agreed to meet around lunchtime. Now it was growing close to dinner, and Ori was nowhere to be found.

He was probably overreacting, but at this point, he had to go for the last resort.

"Are you sure he's not just sitting somewhere reading?" Kíli didn't look up from his very serious game of "grab my finger" with Vuohi, who was facing the challenge with equal seriousness.

"I've looked everywhere he usually goes." Fíli sighed. "Believe me, I wouldn't be asking for help if I thought I could find him on my own. Not even his brothers have seen him since breakfast. At this point he pretty much has to be outside the mountain, and we both know your nose is much better than mine." Never mind that it was still too cold for him to go out in his furs. Lions were not meant for the Erebor climate, certainly not when they were not even in spring proper.

"And when we find him in Dale or somewhere because he found the perfect icicle to sketch and lost track of time?"

"Then we'll get him back for dinner, and you can both laugh at me for fretting too much, and I can stop imagining all the horrible things that could be happening." Fíli resisted the urge to wring his hands. "Please?"

Kíli chuckled. "Like I could ignore you when you're so worried." He lifted the baby into his arms from where she'd been lying on the floor and stood up. "Tauriel, love? Can you look after her while I help Fíli track down his mate?"

"Certainly." Tauriel took Vuohi into her arms with practised ease. For all that they'd been somewhat concerned at first about the sudden responsibility — well, Tauriel had, Fíli still wasn't sure Kíli fully understood the enormity of being a parent — they had adjusted to the presence of a baby quite easily. "I do hope you find him soon."

"Let's hope, or Fíli will worry himself sick." Kíli quickly stripped off his clothes, rolling his shoulders in preparation. "You've got something for me to get the scent from, I suppose?"

"Of course I do." Fíli watched as Kíli dropped down to all fours and changed form. For some dwarves it was a long process, and often looked somewhat grotesque, with twisted forms caught between dwarf and animal flashing by before settling into one or the other. Kíli was one of the talented ones, where he could go from dwarf to wolf in the span of one wag of his tail. Fíli hadn't even managed to reach into his pocket for the mitten he'd got from Ori's room as he already had a large dark wolf sitting in front of him, looking at him expectantly.

Kíli took a deep sniff of the mitten, then headed for the door. Fíli waved briefly at Tauriel before following his brother. Kíli only took the occasional sniff as they walked down the corridors, no doubt just to see if he might find a fresh track before they made it over to the gates of the mountain.

If he hadn't been so worried, Fíli might have almost enjoyed this experience. They had often done this in the past, when the winters in Ered Luin got lean enough that even dwarf-shaped hunters could not find much meat for their pots. Kíli never failed to track down prey, and he hunted better with a pack, so together with Fíli they often brought home game even when others failed.

It was a pity their father had died before Kíli was old enough to go out on hunts. Fíli was sure they would have been unstoppable together.

Kíli certainly wasn't about to be stopped now, apparently picking up a scent near the gates and heading after it. He only stopped occasionally to make sure Fíli was still following, then continued following the scent trail.

Fíli walked doggedly after Kíli, growing more and more concerned as they didn't head toward Dale at all but instead to the side of the mountain. He only got even more worried as he spotted a familiar scarf lying on the frosty ground.

Kíli seemed to share his concern now, starting to run after the trail he was following. Fíli rushed after him, heart clenching as he saw Kíli stop in front of a small hole in the side of the mountain. Getting closer, he saw one of the sleeves of Ori's favourite tunic peeking out from the hole, with his usual bag of writing supplies abandoned right outside it.

"Ori?" Fíli dropped down to his knees in front of the hole and crouched down. "Ori, are you in there?"

At first there was no response, but then he heard a pitiful little whine. Swallowing, Fíli reached his hand to the hole, but not quite inside. He knew better than to aggravate someone in their furs if they were already distressed.

"It's just us, Fíli and Kíli. Nobody had seen you so I got worried. Come, let's get you inside, you must be freezing out here."

This got him another whine, but at least no growls. Feeling a bit more daring, he reached his hand partway into the hole. At first there was nothing, but then he felt a small nose snuffling at his fingers.

"There, it's me, see? You know me. I'm your mate, remember? Come on, I'll keep you warm." It worried him that Ori was still hiding, especially out here in the cold. Whatever had caused him to shift in the first place must have been quite distressing.

Ori snuffled at his hand for another moment before finally giving him a tentative lick. Knowing a partial victory when he felt one, Fíli picked up the bag on the ground with his other hand and reached it toward Kíli, waiting until the wolf had manoeuvred the bag over his head and around his neck.

"Go and make sure the fire's set in the common room," he murmured to Kíli, still keeping his other hand in Ori's hiding hole. "We'll need the heat once I get him inside."

Kíli nodded seriously and then turned away, rushing back toward the gates of the mountain. Fíli stayed patiently still until he felt a furry little head pushing at his hand. As he withdrew his hand, Ori appeared at the mouth of the hole, dragging his clothes in his little teeth.

"Oh, Ori, you must be freezing." Fíli quickly opened his jacket and the vest underneath, carefully picking up the small fox as soon as Ori was outside. There was no protest, just a small whine, and that scared Fíli more than he cared to admit. Ori usually made his displeasure known if people handled him too much due to his size. For him to allow Fíli to pick him up without even the slightest pretence of protest meant he really was cold.

Ori was shivering as Fíli put him inside his clothes, curling up into a trembling little ball of fur against Fíli's chest. Fíli quickly closed his vest and jacket again, dragging Ori's discarded clothes from the hole before he turned to return to the mountain. He kept one arm curled around Ori's shivering form, only stopping to pick up the scarf on the ground before hurrying further.

Kíli met him on the door of the common room. He'd apparently found the time to put on some clothes, his tail wagging in relief as he saw Fíli and Ori.

"The fire's high, and I got some blankets." Kíli led them toward the fireplace in the common room the Company spent a lot of their free time in. It was larger than those in private rooms, which was why Fíli had chosen it. "How is he?"

"He's trembling badly at least." Fíli sighed, dropping Ori's clothes on a chair so they wouldn't end up on the floor. He still kept his arm around Ori as he moved the couple of seats in front of the fire further away, grasping the blankets Kíli offered and spreading them on the floor. "I don't think he has the strength to shift back right now, even if he wanted to."

"Why would he be so affected?" Kíli frowned. "I mean, he's never seemed to mind the cold much. Sure he wears a lot of knitted stuff, but I can't remember him complaining about it on the road, certainly not as much as some others."

"Being on the move is quite different from curling up in a hole. His fur is thick, but it's clearly not meant for weather as cold as what your winter coat can handle." Fíli opened his jacket and vest, carefully lifting Ori out and handing him to Kíli. "Hold him for me for a moment, will you?"

Kíli obediently cradled the little fox in his arms as Fíli quickly undressed. It was the same way he had held Vuohi right after she was born, Fíli realised, one arm supporting the tiny body while the other shielded it. Hopefully it would help Ori feel safe at least for a moment.

Kíli handed Ori back when Fíli had finished undressing. There were others in the room now, apparently curious, but a sideways glance from Fíli kept them at bay. "It's all right," he murmured, cradling Ori to his bare chest. "We'll get you warmed up in no time."

The blankets were nice and thick, shielding them from the cold stone floor as he lay down on the floor, Ori still held against him. It was a bit tricky to position Ori properly as he shifted, but he settled for moving up closer afterwards. He left the side toward the fire open so Ori could get all the heat it offered, Fíli's own furry body shielding him from the cooler air in the rest of the room.

He heard Kíli speaking to someone, now, but didn't pay much attention. All that mattered was Ori, still shivering in a little furry ball against his side. Someone tried to approach them, and Fíli growled without even lifting his head. It didn't matter who it was, they weren't welcome right now. Ori needed to warm up and calm down, and he couldn't very well do the latter if he was surrounded by too many people. Fíli knew all too well he sometimes got skittish in large crowds.

That was fine, it all was fine. Fíli would guard him as long as he needed to.

Fíli would always guard him.

*

Ori woke up to someone calling his name.

Blinking, he lifted his head up from where he'd had it buried in his tail. It was dark in the room, only the soft glow of the fireplace in front of him casting any light into the large room. He couldn't hear others here, either, just the crackling of the fire, the person calling for him, and the soft, soothing sounds of heartbeat and breath from the large body behind him.

Ori drew a deep breath and blinked. Apparently he was curled up next to Fíli. Fíli the lion, at that, rather than Fíli the dwarf. Turning his head, he found the source of the other voice. Two pairs of eyes were watching him from the shadows between the fireplace and the golden curves of Fíli's flank.

Ori carefully got up to his feet, trying not to startle Fíli. He shivered as he stepped away from the comforting warmth of his mate's large body, carefully tiptoeing closer to the call. There were blankets on the floor, soft underneath his furred feet. That was strange. He was quite sure the floor was usually bare at this spot.

"Ori?" Nori stepped out into the light of the fireplace, all red gleaming fur and sharp eyes. "Are you feeling better?"

"I… I think so." Better? Had he been feeling ill, then? He couldn't quite remember, but that might just be because he'd only just woken up.

"We were worried about you." Dori came up to Nori's side, looking like a strange mirror image with his similar build and silver fur. "Kíli said they found you in a hole outside and you were freezing."

"I…" He did remember being cold, so very cold. What exactly had happened, he wasn't entirely sure, though he also recalled hearing someone familiar, remembered warm hands on him. "They brought me in." It was the only way the memories made sense.

"Aye, they did, around dinnertime. Fíli's been guarding you ever since." Nori nodded toward the sleeping lion. "Wouldn't even let us close, if you'll believe that. Such nerve!"

"Well, it is understandable." Dori's tones suggested that he hated admitting as much, though. "Ori was clearly not well, and Fíli considers himself his mate. Of course he would get protective."

"He _is_ my mate," Ori retorted almost reflexively, then paused. He still couldn't quite remember what his brothers described, everything between his hiding away and waking up being something of a blur with a few clearer memories in between, but before… before that, he remembered very well.

His distress must have shown in his body language, as both his brothers stepped forward at once. "Ori?" Nori's eyes promised murder to anyone who might have upset him. "Why exactly were you hiding in the first place?"

"It's not because of Fíli!" Because of course they would think that first of all, they always seemed all too eager to find reasons for why Fíli would not be a good mate for him. Which was just ridiculous, really, obviously Fíli was the best mate he could have wished for. "I just…"

"Yes, Ori?" Dori tilted his head, looking concerned. "What happened?"

"I… I just heard something that upset me, that's all." He drooped his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you —"

"Worry! That's not the point at all!" Nori fluffed out his tail as though Ori had personally insulted him. "Dori would worry no matter what, there's no helping that. The thing that matters is that you were out there, in weather far too cold for you, without even a proper den to shield you! If Fíli hadn't been looking for you and gotten Kíli to sniff you out, who knows what could have happened!"

"Nori is right." Dori shook his head in a way more reminiscent of a dwarf than the fox he was right now. "Being upset is one thing, but putting yourself in danger is quite another. Why would you go hide outside? It's not like the mountain isn't full of places to hide."

"I just didn't want to hear anyone." He twitched his stupid sensitive ears. "And… I was supposed to meet Fíli. It's… he's not the one who upset me, but they were talking about him and me, and I…"

"Oh, Ori." Dori came close enough to lick his face, as though he'd still been just a kit. "You know you shouldn't let other people's whispers get to you. What's between Fíli and you should depend on nobody but the two of you. You wouldn't even let us get a word in edgeways about it, why would you listen to anyone else?"

"Because they were right." And that made everything so much worse. "I know I shouldn't listen to people saying I'm not noble enough or strong enough or important enough for Fíli. None of those things are why he chose me, so it shouldn't matter at all. But this…"

"Well." Nori's tail twitched. "I'd say you should tell us, but really, it seems there's someone else you should be talking to." He nodded toward Ori, who was confused for a moment, then spun around to find Fíli watching them with sleepy eyes.

"Fíli…" Ori stepped closer until he could nuzzle at Fíli's chin with his head. Behind him he heard his brothers moving away, Nori yapping at Fíli just on principle before they left.

Fíli rumbled something in response deep in his chest, the meaning as lost to Ori as his own words no doubt were to Fíli but the affection clear. Ori hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered himself and shifted.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, wrapping his arms around Fíli's thick neck. "I didn't mean for you to worry, I just didn't think…"

Fíli moved in his arms, fur retracting and muscles and bones rearranging themselves until he was all dwarf and naked as well, reaching his arms around Ori in turn. "I'm just glad you're all right now," he said, one hand carding into Ori's hair. "When we found your trail leading into that hole, and all you would do was whimper…"

Ori swallowed. He didn't want to even imagine how Fíli must have felt just then. "I… I was upset and needed to hide," he murmured. "I didn't realise it would be so cold, and then it all got a bit blurry…"

"Thank goodness for Kíli's sharp nose and thick fur." Fíli squeezed him one last time. "Ah. We should probably get dressed, now. It may be the middle of the night, but that doesn't mean nobody's going to come in, as evident from your brothers' visit just now."

"Right. Besides, wouldn't want me to get cold again." His clothes were nearby, he noticed, somewhat dirty from when he'd dragged them into the hole for a makeshift nest but at least warm from the inside air. Fíli got likewise dressed while Ori was putting on his own clothes, then picked up one of the blankets on the floor and wrapped it around Ori's shoulders for good measure.

"There, that's better." And of course he now wanted to draw Ori into another hug. "So, you want to talk about whatever got you so upset? Or should we just get some sleep for now?"

The temptation to pass on the discussion was great, Ori had to admit that. However, he knew that if he did that, he would only try to find more ways to avoid the discussion in the future. And this was something they needed to address, no matter what. "Ah. Can we do both? I mean… I think I should talk about it, but not here. So we could go to bed to talk and then get some sleep?"

"Sure, if you want." Fíli smiled, reaching a hand out to him. Ori grasped it, enjoying the warmth radiating from Fíli's body. He was always warm, it seemed.

He followed Fíli into the royal quarters, which weren't far from the common room, and certainly closer than the apartment Ori currently shared with his brothers. Not that the situation would stay the same for long; Balin was set to move in once he and Dori married, and was already over quite often. Nori, being Nori, had already announced he would be moving in with Dwalin in turn, he just didn't find marriage at all necessary for it. All this caused Dori to sigh and complain and not pay much attention when Ori sometimes sneaked away to Fíli's room. Which was not to say that Dori wasn't aware, of course, he had just apparently decided it was better for everyone not to make too much of a scandal of it.

Not that Fíli was treating him as a little secret or anything, no. They'd exchanged courting gifts, as was only proper, and were waiting for Dís to get to Erebor before they thought of much else. Really, it was no more scandalous than Kíli and Tauriel's relationship, and they already had a daughter on top of everything else.

Right. Because thinking about that was going to make things so much better.

Fíli might have noticed that he was quiet, but didn't say anything, just led Ori to his room. Once they were inside and the door closed behind them, Fíli stepped away to get out of his clothes again. Ori followed his example, still quiet.

"So." Fíli crawled into bed, lifting the covers for Ori to join him. They still didn't have much in the way of mattresses, given that anything left from before Smaug's reign had all but fallen apart, but the supply caravans from Iron Hills had brought pillows and blankets aplenty at least. Ori slipped under the covers, leaning close to Fíli's chest. "Want to talk about it?"

"I… I heard someone talking." Ori kept his face pressed against Fíli's chest, but he was sure Fíli heard him anyway. Fíli always heard him, even when others wouldn't listen. "I'm not sure who it was, I didn't see them, just two voices I didn't recognise. They were talking about me… and you."

"Oh?" He could practically hear the frown in Fíli's voice. "What of it? You know some people are always going to to complain, but it's only because they're jealous. My family and your family approve, and that's all that matters."

"It was different this time." Ori shivered. He wasn't cold, not anymore, but he almost felt chilled just thinking about it. "They… they spoke about how my animal is too small and useless, not even a proper fox. And you should have someone bigger and stronger as your mate, because any children you might have with me will be just as useless."

"Oh, Ori." He felt a small kiss pressed to his hair. "If Mahal gives us cubs one day, I'll love them with all my heart, no matter if they're lions or foxes or even mice. Whatever they turn out to be, it'll be because Mahal made them that way, and if our children are going to be my heirs then surely Mahal will make them whatever they need to be to follow me. If he wants the next ruler to be a lion, he'll make them a lion." Fíli gave him another small kiss. "You know how people talk about Vuohi and how she's a good omen, being a raven. Nobody cares that she's small, or a bird, and I've never heard of a dwarf being a bird before even if it's common among elves. If we are ever blessed with a child anyone who matters will be too busy celebrating that birth, not worrying about what their ears or tail might be like."

"Are you sure?" Because Ori certainly wasn't. "I just… I'm already uncertain enough of whether I can be a proper consort for you. If I can't even give you a proper heir…"

"And why would that be your responsibility, or your fault? Any child we may have will be half me, clearly I'll have as much of a fault. And who's to say my heir will be my child, regardless of whether we have any? I'm already planning on naming Vuohi my heir when she reaches her first full year. Tradition calls for me to change that if I have a child of my own, but that's custom, not a law. And what if Thorin is gifted a child, especially now that he wishes to court Bilbo? He's already said he will not cast me aside even if that happens, but that doesn't mean I couldn't take his child as my heir in turn. Nobody would protest that, I'm sure, and Bilbo's not even a predator."

"I… I suppose you're right." Ori still wasn't entirely convinced, but he did feel a bit more assured.

"Ask anyone in the Company, they'll tell you the same thing." Fíli reached an arm around Ori, strong and warm and sure. "I love you, Ori, and I'll love any cub we may some day have. Nothing will change that, I promise, certainly not some malicious gossip."

"I'll remember that next time."

"Please do." Fíli paused. "And if you get upset again, over that or anything else… you know you can always hide here, right? I mean, if you'd rather not be around your brothers and all. If you really need to be alone, I can go sleep in Thorin's room."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ori sighed. "I just… I didn't want to meet you, upset like that," he admitted. "I was sure you'd ask about it, and I wasn't ready to talk, and I just…"

"I see." Fíli was quiet for a while. "You know, it wouldn't be that difficult to have someone dig out a little fox hole in a corner here," he then said. "And I'll promise not to bother you if you're in there, not even to ask why. I don't really get the need for a den, it's not in my nature, but I do understand that it's sometimes important to you, and you have my word I won't bother you then."

"That would be really nice." Ori finally drew his head away from Fíli's chest, leaning up to steal a small kiss. "Thank you. For, you know, being understanding."

"Hey, I grew up with a wolf for a brother, and wolf cubs sleep in dens." Fíli chuckled. "When he was little he couldn't sleep at all if he didn't get to cuddle, and he always wanted to crawl under covers or find some small corner to hide in. More than once we were trying to eavesdrop on something or were hiding away for some other reason, only for Kíli to doze off because he was so comfortable in the dark next to me. Different animals make different dwarves, we just have to learn to deal with it all."

"I suppose you're right." Ori yawned. "Wow. I suppose I'm still sleepy."

"Well, you did go through quite an ordeal." Fíli's arm tightened around him, just a little. "Get some rest. And in the morning we'll get you an extra large breakfast; you must be starving since you missed both lunch and dinner and had to keep yourself warm for so long."

"That sounds lovely." Ori let his eyes flutter to a close. "You know… my brothers must really like you, no matter what they say, if they let you chase them away from me."

"I hope that's the case, and they're not just planning to murder me somewhere out of sight so they won't upset you too badly."

"I'm sure that isn't the case." Finally, he managed a smile. "Good night, Fíli."

"Good night, Ori."

Really, if either of them had any doubts remaining about the matter of Ori's brothers, those were wiped away when they found a clean set of Ori's clothes at the door in the morning. Not because of the clothes, that was only to be expected of Dori, but because there was no vaguely threatening note attached. And if Ori's ears caught some familiar snickers that died abruptly when they walked into the dining hall for breakfast, well, at least Nori had the decency to at least try to look like he hadn't just been making suggestive remarks.

It was for the better, really. Of all the ridiculous rumours Ori's ears had ever caught, he was in no hurry to start correcting the one about Fíli's stamina.

They would have just thought he was exaggerating, anyway.


End file.
